Your Dog Wants Cuddles and Affection Even More Than Treats

Dog owners everywhere know that to get your pup to do what you want, all you need to do is wave around a treat. But according to a new study, nothing makes Fido happier than praise and pets. Yes, apparently treats just don't cut it.

Science magazine reports that the study, set to be published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, scanned the brains of 15 awake dogs. In one experiment, they showed the dogs objects that would pair with praise from their owners or pair with a piece of hot dog. For example, they'd show them a toy car and then give them a piece of hot dog, or they'd show them a toy car and their owners would then praise them. In a second experiment, they set up a Y-shaped maze. The dog was at one end, and could choose to go towards its owner for praise or toward a bowl of treats.

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What they found is surprising for anyone with a food-obsessed pup. When the dogs were under the scanner, areas of their brains associated with decision-making and reward lit up more when they saw an object associated with praise, rather than an object associated with food. This was the case with 13 out of the 15 dogs. And to confirm, those 13 dogs were more likely to go for their owners in the maze rather than treats, and the dogs whose brains lit up for treats in the first experiment also went for the treats in the second one.

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Of course, the study was quite small and limited in scope. But the researchers hope their data can be used to assign service jobs to working dogs. For example, dogs that love praise might be better therapy dogs, while dogs that love treats could be search and rescue dogs.

And in general, the study shows just how much dogs go crazy over their humans. Mental Floss reports that a documentary found that when dogs interact with their owners, they release the hormone oxytocin, known as the "love hormone." Dogs' levels of oxytocin went up 57.2% in that study, compared to a paltry 12% uptick in cats. So don't be stingy on the belly rubs—unless you have a cat. Then leave your cat alone, and you'll be fine.